How to Identify My Single Lever Shower Faucet

Steve Smith

Before you repair your single-lever shower faucet, find out what brand and model of faucet you own. With this information in hand, you can easily order replacement parts to update or repair the unit. However, finding the information you need presents some challenges on certain types of faucets. So it is best to learn a few different ways of identifying your faucet. You need only the most basic tools and a little bit of handyman know-how.

Step 1

Look on the trim plate, the round plate around the base of the single-lever faucet for a manufacturer name or symbol. For instance, Delta embosses its names in its single-handle shower faucet trim pieces. Moen, American Standard and Price Pfister also print their names in some way on this plate. Kohler often has a K on its faucet trim pieces. The name identifies the manufacturer.

Step 2

Remove the faucet handle by taking out the set screw on the base of the handle with an Allen wrench. Slide the handle off the faucet and remove the trim sleeve, a tube-shaped part, and bonnet, a round threaded nut, by unscrewing each one and pulling them off.

Step 3

Look on top of the cartridge, the part under the handle, for a manufacturer name. Or see whether there are cartridge screws on top of the cartridge. If so, it is likely you have an American Standard faucet. If there is a metal clip on the side of the cartridge, you may have a Moen faucet.

Step 4

Remove the retaining screws, cartridge clip or retaining nut on top of the cartridge and pull the cartridge out of the faucet body. If you have a Moen or Delta faucet, go online to the appropriate manufacturer website and look under the find-parts section. Bring up single-lever shower faucets and match the parts on your faucet to parts listed on the website. If you have another faucet or cannot find your parts online, take all the parts you removed to a plumbing supplier and ask to see a parts book to match your faucet parts.